Month: March 2013
Local Reviews: Dusk Raps
Throw Away The Key is the new full-length solo release from local hip hop mainstay Dusk One. Having been a member of MindState and collaborated on several shorter releases with Fisch Loops, amongst other projects, Dusk has been defining the scene—it was only a matter of time before he branched out of state and made his presence felt nationally. … read more
Local Reviews: GAZA
Salt Lake’s own grind-metal heroes have kicked their game up to some intense new heights with this record. Familiar elements of the previous albums prevail: the discordant insanity, the rib-smashing riffs, the harsh, grating screams from some lower bowel of hell. On top of this chaotic primordial soup, the band has planted layers of matured, rhythmic, doom-metal moments that feel like coming up for air before you drown. … read more
Local Reviews: Inland
With noodly, undistorted guitar lines and constant high hat in the forefront showcasing emotional vocals and thinly veiled romantic lyrics, Inland sounds exactly how I’d imagine Kickball did in high school. … read more
Local Reviews: Kristen Nelson
Beautiful, soulful melodies with drawn- out, twangy vocals comprise the majority of this seven-song EP/album, and a dash of pop helps keep it current and catchy. Kristen Nelson, originally hailing from Washington, brought the melancholy vibe often associated with her homestate to Utah. … read more
Local Reviews: Markham Sound
At first, I didn’t know if this was a serious attempt to create an album, but I quickly realized it’s some kind of blend between comedy and music. The album opens with the tune “Mom & Dad,” with a chorus that rambles off a list of bands, “Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Seals and Croft, Three Dog Night, Chuck Berry, Sly and the Family Stone.” … read more
Local Reviews: Mechanical Skies
This five-song EP continues the journey of Mechanical Skies, following their first release in 2010. Exploring the three members’ influences, which they list as ranging from Jimi Hendrix to All-American Rejects, this material has a definitive classic rock undertone throughout. … read more
Local Reviews: Various Artists
The sampler begins with a fantastic track by Mystique, a local amalgam of young musicians from varied backgrounds who came together under the guidance of Spyhop. It is a delightfully upbeat, bouncy song paired with rich, soulful vocals performed by the female singers of the project. It’s a great way to start the album. … read more
Local Reviews: Brad Stock
The Atomic Clock promised a “rare mixing of genres” and life-changing songs that would send my mind reeling into unknown space, but the whole thing plays like generic radio rock you’d hear at the mall. His lyrics are (occasionally laughable) elementary rhymes—“Watch out, this is mace/pointed straight at your face”—and, on track “Conspiracy of 2,” he even rips off George Carlin’s Napalm and Silly Putty book title. … read more
Local Reviews: The Dhoon
I appreciated Bright in No Light after my second listen quite a bit more than the first—which was on a sunny day in busy traffic. Listening while outdoors at night happens to be the better way to get into this music. … read more
Local Reviews: Eagle Twin
If you live in Salt Lake City and you are even remotely into heavy music, you, at the very least, have heard of Eagle Twin. Master craftsmen Gentry Densley and Tyler Smith return with their highly anticipated follow-up to 2009’s epic, The Unkindness of Crows, and the anticipation is far from unwarranted. This fucker is heavy, and I don’t mean just a little. … read more